Earlier in the month, Sid and I went camping yet again. I know, it seems we can’t get enough of it this year! This time our destination was Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. Joining us along for the adventure was Sid’s grandma (my Mom).

The last time we were all at Turkey Run was two years ago, again right around Sid’s Birthday, and we stayed in a rustic camping cabin. This year, since the weather was so ideal, we opted for the tent experience. Lucky for us, it was warm and sunny the whole time.

After we got our campsite set up, and Sid took inventory of our firewood supplies, we hit some of the lovely trails within the park.

Sid may be twelve years old but he’s still pretty athletic (at least when he chooses to be).

We enjoyed just sitting around and relaxing at our campsite. It was really quiet and serene and the smell and cracking and of the campfire put us at ease.

We hit up a couple trails the next day as well since that is one of the highlights of this lovely state park. And once again Sid showed us what an adventurer he is.

Well, until he decided to take a break mid-hike. I guess I couldn’t blame him as I was a bit tired by then, too!

On our last day, Sid was reluctant to get out of bed.

I guess he had overdone it a bit on previous hikes and was not in the mood to walk anymore. So I came up with a solution:

Sid was super snug and comfortable in the backpack. At one point he even dozed off and started snoring! On the trails that day we saw dozens of tiny frogs. They would dive into the water as soon as you’d get close, but I did manage to get close enough to this guy for a photo op before he took off.

After the last trail, we had a picnic lunch and then it was time to pack up the tent, the camping supplies, and the pug – and head back to the city!

Everyone staying warm? We hope so! We’ve been having a pretty relaxing January so far. I was casually flipping through some photos on the computer last night and realized I never wrapped up our Have Pug, Will Travel trip from September (Boy, does time fly)! So here is the much-anticipated (I’m sure) HPWT finale!

(If you need to catch up with earlier installments, here’s the whole kit and kaboodle.)

When we last left you in Part 5, Sid and I had enjoyed an evening stroll along the beachfront after a day of several amazing hikes at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. After a restorative forty winks in our home on wheels, we woke up the next day and made breakfast. Sid embraced his managerial role, making sure I split the blueberries evenly between us.

Since our campsite was so close to the beach, we took an enjoyable post-breakfast stroll in the sand.

And of course we couldn’t resist taking a few glamour shots.

We then packed everything back up into the van and got back on the road. Our next destination was the town of Holland, Michigan. After a scenic drive along the western-Michigan shoreline, we eventually arrived at the Lake Macatawa campground located within Holland State Park. And, like most campgrounds we stayed at during this trip, we were just a short walk to the water! Time for a dip!

As you can see in the corner of the picture, there are kayaks for rent on Lake Macatawa, but unfortunately it was a little too late in the day by that point to rent them, so instead we headed towards downtown Holland. Our first stop was Kollen park where there were lots of people out enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.

The town of Holland is very charming and we enjoyed just walking around and people-watching. The main drag, 8th Street, is lined with little specialty shops, brew-pubs, and restaurants.

Oh, and of course DOG BOUTIQUES!

The staff at Decadent Dogs were very sweet and extremely generous with free samples of their gourmet treats, which Sid very much appreciated. They seemed to be giving Sid extra-special treatment and I didn’t know why until they told me about their town mascot: a pug named Lucy. Yes, you heard me right — A PUG!

(Photo of Lucy from Discover Holland Facebook page)

Unfortunately we didn’t get to meet Lucy in the fur because she was on vacation, but Sid left her a message (via “pee-mail”) at her headquarters for when she returns.

We were in our element as it seemed like everywhere we looked, the town of Holland was obsessed with pugs. Even in the old-fashioned clock shop!

After a nice afternoon out strolling through the town, we arrived back at our campsite and Sid enjoyed a few treats he picked up at Decadent Dogs. Yum!

The next morning, we packed up and headed back to sweet home, Chicago.

Sid and I had such a fun time on our adventure and we hope you enjoyed traveling along with us! We can’t wait to make plans for our next Have Pug, Will Travel adventure!

(Continued from Part I)

The grounds around our camping cabin were so dark and quiet that both Sid and I slept like rocks. Actually more like pug loaves. That is, until Sid’s internal clock kicked in and the thought of breakfast overtook his brain. I think he may have eaten breakfast at 5 am though it was too dark to tell. The sun hadn’t even thought about rising yet. After his breakfast and quick run into the cold pre-dawn morning for a bio break, he plunked right back onto my sleeping bag until the sun finally decided to show its bright face.

RISE AND SHINE, CAMPERS!

Sid was raring to go! We picked up my Mom at the Turkey Run Inn, and set a course for Trail 4. The weather was much warmer than the day before and the sun was shining brightly. It was certainly an ideal day to enjoy nature!

Trail 4 was not only very scenic and serene, but was also fairly easy on the legs. The end of Trail 4 connected up with a section of Trail 3 which is one of the most rugged trails at Turkey Run. Long sections of it wind through narrow canyons formed by the small but quick-moving creek below. It can be tricky navigating through the canyons and most first-timers end up half-soaked, caked in mud, and wondering if they are actually still on the trail. Sid didn’t seem to mind if he was on or off the trail, just as long as he was able to stroll through the water, and GET WET!

After a snack and a little relaxing, my Dad joined up with us and we headed to another trail – Trail 6. It also follows a creek, but the banks are much wider so it is a lot easier to navigate.

Even though the trails along along the banks were wide and flat, Sid spent most of his time hopping over logs, crawling on top of boulders, and wading right through the water.

And of course, he couldn’t resist one more pose on a rock! A true outdoorsman, I mean outdoorspug.

Then we hopped in the car for the trip back home. Sid was passed out (half-way out of his travel bag no less) the whole ride home. Guess all that fresh air and hiking wore him out.

We had so much fun at Turkey Run we’re going to go again in the Spring!

As I mentioned a week or so ago, Sid’s 10th Birthday fell on a weekend and I wanted to do something special with him to celebrate this momentous milestone. I rented a car, popped Sid into his carrier, loaded up our gear into the trunk, and cranked up some tunes as we peeled out of our alley and hit the highway.

“WOO HOO! ROAD TRIP!”

We set our course for Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. Even though he can’t read a map, Sid is still the best co-pilot ever.

My family has been coming to Turkey Run for many years, but this was Sid’s first time there. The Turkey Run Inn, where we usually stay, doesn’t allow dogs so we opted for a camping cabin at Up the Creek which is right up the road from the park. It was definitely on the rustic side but certainly a step up from a tent.

After we dropped off our gear at the cabin, we strolled over to the Inn to meet up with my parents who were joining us for the weekend.

Time to hit the trails! Turkey Run has the best trails (including the infamous “Trail 3”). The more rugged trails can get pretty challenging though they often end up being the most fun (or you end up soaked in water and lose a shoe in a mud pit – which has happened to us before!). Since this was Sid’s first time doing this sort of thing, we kept it simple the first day and began with one of the less-intense trails.

Even though the trail we were on wasn’t classified as “rugged”, there were still some challenging obstacles. Sid was very proud of himself for conquering this pile of boulders.

We took a little break near a small lake that looked especially mysterious due to the lighting and the cool moist air that made everything misty.

Sid was a little hiking machine! Look at him go!

We took another break at one of the covered bridges. There are tons of covered bridges all over the county and they have a festival every year devoted to all the covered bridges. Sid said he’d prefer a baby carrot festival.

And then some more hiking!

We ended our trek at the suspension bridge and Sid took a little dip in Sugar Creek to cool off (and to single-handedly ensure none of the pebbles beneath the water were treats in disguise).

After our hiking, we had some dinner back at the cabin and tried to start a fire in the firepit next to our cabin. Unfortunately my camping skills weren’t quite up to snuff and the campfire was a bust. Instead, we just chilled out in our cabin, listened to some music, and ate some snacks. Once it got really dark, we hit the hay to rest up for our next day!

To be continued in Part II…

About a week ago, I rented a nice camera lens for the weekend (for the photo buffs out there, it was a Canon 50mm 1.2L). This is a really nice lens that I cannot really justify buying outright, but luckily there is a camera shop called Dodd Camera just a bike-ride away from Pug Slope HQ. They have tons of equipment that can be rented out and have really good rates for the weekends.

I headed out to Winnemac Park with Sid to try out the new lens. Sid seemed exceptionally excited about this particular photo shoot – probably because I actually remembered to bring some treats with me this time.

In the early Spring, the park district does a controlled burn of the prairie areas of Winnemac Park so back in April of this year the area on the far side of the fence looked totally barren. To see what I mean check out this post from April. Over the summer, though, the plants quickly return and grow at incredible rates. Soon the whole prairie area is filled with lush green leaves and lovely flowers that last all through the summer.

The plants are all native species, so the local pollinators are very attracted to them. There are often lots of bees collecting pollen and even monarch butterflies fluttering by!

Sid didn’t want any bees accidentally landing on him so he trotted over to one of the more open areas of the park near the weeping willow trees.

After a little stroll through the field he laid down near the far end of the park and made sure I delivered with the treats. He was being very photogenic so I complied.

I’m definitely excited to try out some other lenses from Dodd. Maybe next time I’ll try a fish-eye lens so I can show you guys some LARGER THAN LIFE close-ups of Sid’s pug mug?! I wonder if he’d approve…

On a typical day, Sid and I go for at least one of our walks through the beautiful park in our neighborhood: Winnemac Park. I thought I’d tell you a little more about it today.

Winnemac Park is exceptionally large for a neighborhood park. It’s filled with enormous weeping willow trees and large areas of native prairie plantings that are stuffed with bright flowers and tall grasses that sway in the breeze. Woodchip paths wind through the native planting areas and rustic wooden fences create a border around them.

Sid loves smelling all the plants and certain sections of the fence where other dogs have left him “messages”.

There are also a few baseball diamonds, a large playground, tennis courts, a large soccer field, and a stadium that is part of the adjacent high school.

Lots of families take their young kids to play in the park, and those of us without kids take our dogs there. It’s usually a very peaceful place, especially if we go there for our early morning walk.

If you ever come to visit Chicago, we highly recommend visiting Winnemac Park. Sid told me he’ll take you on a guided tour himself!

We were lucky to have some amazing weather this weekend which allowed Sid and I to go on multiple excursions throughout our neighborhood. Always wanting to be in style, Sid refused to leave the house until I accessorized him with his favorite bandana – the black one (of course).

As usual, Sid made a bee line for Winnemac Park which was packed with people and pups out basking in the sun. The park looked really different though because it just had its annual “controlled burn” of the prairie areas completed this week.

Although the areas within the rustic fences look desolate now, the burn kicks the plants into action and soon the native prairie plants and flowers will be sprouting up like crazy.

I think Sid was a little perturbed that someone burned all the dried-up plants he liked to sniff and pee on, but it’s difficult to explain the cycles of nature to a pug.

We continued strolling around the blocks that surround the park and Sid started perking up. We journeyed down a few blocks we’ve never been on before, so I think he was psyched to mark some new turf and check out some unfamiliar scenery.

The signs of Spring were all around us. We found tons of brightly colored crocuses popping up in people’s front yards.

Did anyone else get to go on any Spring adventures this past weekend? If so, Sid and I want to hear about it!